


Eternal Love

by FluppyGoo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi, Obscurials (Harry Potter), Obscurus (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-02-15 13:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13031730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluppyGoo/pseuds/FluppyGoo
Summary: Helen Snape Evans is self-reliant, cunning and ambitious. But there's more than this to somebody with her disturbing past. She was born and grew up with her loving parents; Lily J. Evans and Severus Snape. And was raised as a Muggle until she turn 11 years old, at that point everything changed. Something inside her could quickly become an unstoppable force.





	1. Prologue

 

 

_**-1975-** _

Hogwarts

The old castle doors opened, like the wind, a cloaked figure emerged and ran off. The fifth-year old student stopped in the shade of a very beech tree on the edge of the black lake. Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of bushes. He was as deeply immersed in the Dark Arts, so much, he dreamed of teaching in this very halls one day.

The sunlight had shined on the calm surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall was sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

"Excellent," said a voice. "Snivellus!" He yelled.

Severus turned his head up to see James Potter and his gang of lunatics.

Snape got up to his feet again and was putting away the dark arts book in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James were on their feets.

Lupin and Wormtail remained sat by the lake. Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting some sort of attack: dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand flew and landed behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and Wormtail followed.

"Impedimenta!" James said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.

Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" asked James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several students watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You-wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "you- wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away from them, nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him-'

"Leave him ALONE!"

James and Sirius looked around. James's wand immediately jumped into his pocket.

It was none of the girls from the lake edge. She had come running from the looks of her thick, dark red hair that fell over her shiny face.

"Evans? What you doing here?" said James and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone,"Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"I thought you had Potion Class with Professor Slughorn", said James, appearing to change the point, " so I was collecting some specimens for you...'

Many of the surrounding students laughed at Severus, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, selfish, bully. Grow up, Potter. And leave him alone."

"I'll if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on ... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"You pig ..." Severus whispered.

Severus felt the Jinx wearing off, he began to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and him,' said Lily. Unfortunately, her words didn't reach Snape as he was to busy mumbling curses.

"Too bad, your boyfriend here will suffer for it," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. 'OI!'

It was too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you", said James earnestly.

"I hate you!" Lily, whose anger evaporated turned into tears.

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "Look, Evans, I'm sorry-"

"Expelliarmus!" James flew screaming into the air after being hit by the jet red light.

Lily blinked. She just sends Potter into the lake, and to everyone's amusement. Severus kind of laughed in his own way.

"Evans," James said coldly trying not to drown. "I'll never speak to you again! And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus!"

As Wormtail went to help him out of the water, the other girls gave him a mean look and turned to the castle. "Eww-"

"Apologise to Evans!" Severus roared at James, his wand pointed threateningly at him. Maybe, he should try his new spell on him.

"I don't want your apologies," Lily shouted at James. "I don't want to see you again either!", she pulled her hair and shouted, "You make me SICK."

They were finally alone. Severus walked back and lay on the grass. He was about to curse her, but he didn't. When James flew over in the sky and landed on the lake, he froze. That moment was gold, it made him very happy, and he did not speak a word to Lily.

Lily walked to the tree and lay down next to Severus. Like when they were just children, watching the sky.

"Thanks," he said. "you saved me." She laughed. "Do not be silly, he will be back to harm us." Severus rose on one elbow. He smiled. "What!?" The longest five minutes of her life passed on, "Is been 5 years since we last talked to each other," Lily opened her mouth in disbelief, "You dare?" she signed. "Fine. We can share half the blame on this."

They stared at each other before starting to laugh together.

...

Time itself moves forward through the years waiting for no one.

...

Severus had noticed that Remus kept disappearing during the full moon, until one day he followed him past the Whomping Willow, after being tipped off on how to do so by Sirius Black, to confirm his suspicions. This act could have cost Severus his life, however, it took his humanity.

...

When James found out what had happened, he went after Severus and managed to save him just before he got to the Shrieking Shack while Remus was in his wolf-form. Severus didn't come back unharmed. Albus Dumbledore swore Severus to secrecy, but the true nature of Remus was clear to Severus. As was his own now.

...

By their seventh year, James had grown out of his immaturity and arrogance to the point that Lily forgive him. James had other plans with Wormtale. James grew hatred for Severus Snape once Lily told him that they were dating. Lily ended up marrying Severus, right after finishing their last year, which only strengthened Jame's hatred towards them.

...

Wormtale who joined Lord Voldermort's army sought out Potter and brought him to the Dark Lord side, a new Death Eater was born.

...

In early 1980, Snape eavesdropped on an interview for Divination, Professor Sybill Trelawney and Albus Dumbledore at the Hog's Head Inn. Trelawney prophesied that at the end of July, a child would be born who would cause the downfall of Lord Voldemort.

...

James Potter had eventually climbed the ranks of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters and was the spy who informed Voldemort about the prophecy foretelling his destruction at the hands of the other.

...

Sirius who joined Voldemort as a spy to Dumbledore went to warned Lily about James and his plans towards them. At the same time, the Dark Lord took care of the boy of the prophecy.

...

At that time it was not clear who was meant by the prophecy.

...

Two children of prominent wizarding families were born that year at the end of July: Helen Snape Evans and Neville Longbottom. Such anger raged inside the dark lord. He personality went for the male, and entrusted the girl to his new follower, to prove his loyalty, James Potter was to kill her.

...

Severus, days later had told Lily and explained that he had overheard the prophecy and that something awful had happened that day. He went on to tell...

...

That night Severus, couldn't believe it. How could this be? He was approached by James on an Inn days later. He couldn't deduce how he would tell Lily the news after some drinks shared he opened up for advice. Just two men talking, forgetting their childish struggles or so Severus thought. James did report it to Voldemort. He couldn't believe the betrayal when Sirius told him. However, Snape had not heard the entire prophecy, as the barman had caught him eavesdropping and threw him out. Neither did Voldemort.

...

Lily nodded to him in bed. She knew about James joining the Death Eaters. Sirius had told her. "What are we going to do?" Severus asked her. She just smiled, passing her delicate hand over his tears. He could not lose her. No. He got up and went to talk with Dumbledore.

...

Dumbledore and Severus had a discussion but to no avail. Dumbledore refused to help as Severus had nothing to offered him. Severus took the matter into his own hands and left.

...

A year later, Voldemort made his move, killing Alice and Frank Longbottom. When the dark lord approached the little boy, Neville, he could not destroy it. It was not because the child was born powerful, no, it was because in another place a person made a decision.

...

At that same moment, in another place, a doorbell was heard. Severus was not home at the time. He went to talk to the Malfoy's who denied to help him. A wand raised to face Lily, her heart beat fast. She knew that her child was upstairs alone. Wormtail who saw her reaction, passed next to James and claimed upstairs.

...

Lily didn't saw this day coming, Wormtail was climbing the stairs, but that didn't bother her, in the instant she saw James' eyes. "Please!" She begged him. "Here precious little baby." Wormtale chuckled.

...

"I can't. I-," She started to cry, her chest had become tighter. "I love you." He said. James cleaned her tears with his free hand. Looking at Wormtail he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" killing the bastard. His body rolled down to their feets. "James," she whispered. "What have you done?" He turned to her. "I'm going to fix things. Go. Take her, find Severus and go to Hogwarts until I come back." A thundering noise cracked in the room, and he disappeared.

...

When the dark lord raised his wand to kill Neville. James appeared before him and cast his spell, "Expelliarmus!" He cast up close to his body, "You!" Voldemort yelled as his body began to turn into ashes. His own curse rebounded, but unfortunately, James was to close to him and he took the blast as well. James saw the dazzling stars in the room as his body hit the floor. But does were no stars. Only the fragmented soul of Voldemort that attached itself to Neville.

...

A month later, the Death Eaters had run and disappeared upon the fall of the Dark Lord. Neville who survived and only got a mark of a lightning on his left shoulder was sent with his Muggle family for his own safety. After Severus and Lily hid on Hogwarts for a couple of weeks they left Spinner's End street and move to the countryside, somewhere in the South East of England.

 

 

 


	2. Darkness Within

_**-1991-** _

South East England

In the last ten years since the Dark Lord disappeared, a family moved on to the top of a meadow in the south-east of England, neighbor's swear to each other that they had never heard them fight. A black box rested on a table, tighten with a small red ribbon and on top of the lamp on the same table, just outside the window, the beautiful green canopy of the meadow was around the field, covering the surroundings of the cream-colored two-story house, entering through the main dirt road; and slipping inside under the door to their dining room, in the middle seat was a tall man with straight, black hair. He turned the page.

The photographs in the newspaper moved, they fought, they were disgusted by an unexpected event, something had happened, it had been an uproar.

"A break in into Gringotts," Lily said, "...nowhere is safe anymore. I fear the worst is yet to come." Her elbow rested next to the fireplace, at the end of the table. Severus glanced at her eyes and smiled.

"Isn't it time we tell her?" Severus whispered. The Daily Prophet now rested over the table when Lily sat next to him.

"Severus, there's still a month left," she begged. "Helen hasn't shown any signs, but." Severus placed a hand over hers. "Is time we face it," Severus said.

"Our daughter, maybe a Squib." He told softly, looking at her playful lips. Severus rose and kissed her passionately. The mood in the room shifted when two books were slammed on the table on top of the Daily Prophet. "What's a Squib?" said a young girl that wore a brown jacket with an "SA" symbol on her shoulder that was over a blue crown of laurel.

Severus walked to his little living image. Passed his fingers through his daughter's hair as they smile to each other. "Have fun in school." He kissed her on the forehead and walked away leaving the two females in the room in hopes that Lily would tell her about her fate.

"Mom, look I-" The little one bit her lower lip. She wanted to tell her something but was cut off by her mother's words. "Sweetheart, your father and I are ..." She froze for a second, what would her reaction be to all of this? Lily took a deep breath, and continue. "...wizards." Helen had a marble-sized glass ball that contained smoke in her hand, when she was putting it in her pocket it began to turn red.

"Like the trick of the coin? Is that dad's new job?" Helen looked at her mother's twin eyes, searching for an answer. She rose an eyebrow. "No, honey. Like real magic." Her list twisted.

Helen was silent trying to process what was said to her. It sounded like a joke at first, but now, maybe her mother had been using drugs.

"Are you on drugs, mom?" Helen spoke her feelings through a deep stare behind her obscure eye-shadow.

"No. What, honey, did your teacher tell you about these Muggle things?" Lily smiled at him slightly, "Muggle?" Helen answered, and her mother knelt in front of her. "I'll tell you what. I'll promise to show you something special after school. You'll be late, come."

Lily got up, went for her coat and car keys. Meanwhile, Helen was distracted by a newspaper under the books from the thirty-one of July, her father had been reading a newspaper from the day before. Strange. She took it and looked at the bizarre figures, they were goblins from what she could recognize from books. The stairs that lead to the second floor from the living room, creaked.

Helen knew that her mother would be back at any second, and she would probably take this newspaper away. But she wanted to know what the page said, read it, and checked the living photographs. What kind of technology was this? It was like a small television screen in repeat.

Maybe, it was magic. As her mother told her. No. That was ridiculous. Magic? Such a thing does not exist. So she kept it for herself, as fast as he could in his backpack with a side strap. "I found them here, come, honey. You don't want to be late to your first day at school." Lily extended her hand, Helen reached out and took it, and they left the house.

...

They spent hours in the car on their way to her school, Smeltings Academy, a public school for students who wanted to have a career in welding.

"How are things at school?" Lily broke the silence in the car.

"Fine," Helen took something out from her pocket. "...I was going to tell you about this..," Lily looked through the back seat mirror, her daughter was holding the glass ball up to her.

"Where did you get that Remembrall?" Helen's thoughts became a jumbled, her mother called it by name. She knew what it was.

"That's a magical item. Where did you get it?" Lily kept her eyes on the road, and a strong grip on the steering wheel. Helen's shoulders relaxed, she was definitely sure that it was her mother who put it there. Helen thought.

She sighed softly, "I found it in my room this morning."

"How odd. Maybe your father put it there, or it was the fairies." Lily said, chuckling at her expression.

"Of course." She said back with a deep tone of her voice. Lily looked in the mirror again, only to briefly see for an instant a black and stilted mirror.

Helen's mouthwash wide opened and stopped to think what to reply. She restrained herself, and her hands were shaking, "Hahaha." She replied with a sarcastic one indeed, and she just rested her head on the window. Ignoring her mother altogether. She wasn't telling her anything. Only jokes.

Lily drop her smile, the mirror on her left was like new, she clenched her teeth, crossed her eyebrows with her chin up. Something was wrong with Helen. She barely speaks about school.

...

Lily had left Helen outside the gates of the academy. "See you later, baby." A boy waved his hand at her, before bursting into laughter with two other friends. The three boys were wearing a maroon tailcoat, orange knickerbockers, and straw hats. Unlike girls who wore skirts with long black pants underneath. Helen walked away without saying anything, and her shoulders shrunken.

Another prick to add to her list. "Hey, where are you going precious." said the color kid in the middle. Helen kept walking and reached the classroom in no time.

Hours went by in history Class, very useful subjects, the introduction and use of stone, Iron, copper & lead. Clay was the intriguing part, it was used on almost anything in the past, Helen noted down everything the teacher told in class.

She thought about taking a nap during lunch time, and now that every other student went to the courtyard, she stood in the classroom alone. Helen sat and placed her face on her backpack, but in her head buzzed the same question. She tried to empty her mind — she needed to sleep, she had to, she had a nightmare last night, and couldn't sleep at all — but it rapidly came back to her.

...

Two big white eyes approached her and surrounded her body with the speed of the wind, there was a black room where only the cold was visible from her lips. "Leave. P-please!" she shouted. Every second that passed was colder. Helen did not move from her position, she couldn't see anything, and to stumble was not what she needed right now. The creature roared, and she just bent down with her knees to her chest. "I-I don't want to." The wind and darkness approached and touched her shoulder.

...

The sigh echoed through the room, her blood-cells were moving at a slow passed inside her heart. Oxygen was not reaching the brain and went she was finally able to concentrate in front of her. The pages she had written were broken, flying around her in tiny pieces. "Not again." She said to herself tenfold. Magic wasn't real. Fairies weren't real. She continued to deny everything "special" about herself.

What her mother told her was just a joke nothing to take to heart. Her father's newspaper. She took it out. The photos were still moving. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this. She turned the pages and kept reading everything, but Helen still did not understand all these strange words. "Please, stop." She said once more, and all the papers in the room fell to the floor.

"Oi, freak." That was the starting point, again, no matter where she was, someone always meddled in her affairs. "Give me your money for lunch." said the plump one that had to around her same age or a bit older. "Go away," she said. The boy and his two friends approached her and began to pinch her with their fingers. One of them began to pull her smooth black hair, and she fell to the ground.

The boy's fingers entered her dress, and they took her purse where she had some money saved. Laughing, he threw the money on the floor with the bag. "Is that all you have!" Shouted he who seemed to be the leader of the group. "I want tenfold tomorrow, or your homework will be next." said the proud smiling brat. "Oi, Dursley, check this out." said the thin boy with blond hair. The boy fringled Helen's newspaper at little Dursley. "Where did you get this, Disneyland?" The boys laughed, and Dursley destroyed the newspaper in half and threw it at her face.

"Oi, Dursley, look at the little girl crying."

Dursley knelt beside her and pulled the hair out of her face, revealing her tears. Helen's eyes were light dark red with a little shadow of black on them. The boy leaned back and slipped, he fell on his bottom to the ground. And watched as a dark mass began to leave Helena's body. She was yelling, crying even. The classroom had been shaking apart, and the roof was engulfed by a black substance.

"Help me!" She cried to him, with her hand in his direction. She held back her hand, looked at herself as her bones creaked and her muscles contracted involuntarily again and again faster each passing second. He looked at the door, and his "friends" had already left, they ran to save their own skin. He could not speak, he got up and ran to the door. His shoe flattened one of the newspaper's sheets and slipped, falling unconscious on the floor. Helen could feel her heart up to her throat, her chest compressed and her skin was a hundred times lighter.

The room began to sink in on itself. Time seemed an eternity. Yet, she only spent three minutes in the real world, and her voice became mute. Not that it matters, she soon lost the will to scream. Her hears still worked, and she heard a horrid thunder sound cracking in the corridors of the school. A man in a black garment entered the room, her body and vision were heavy. She could not identify the person, and she fell on the spot to weak to move.

"No, Helen. P-please, don't-" he cried out, kneeling before his daughter. "Everything will be fine." He held her close to his chest and took his wand out. "Dad?" She asked, but Snape continued to mumble a song next to her in a language she couldn't understand. It may have appeared to be English, but she didn't know the meaning of the words.

...

It had been three days, Helen didn't wake up, and didn't show signs of waking up anytime soon. Severus walked into his daughter's room, back and forth without patience. He had sent a letter to Dumbledore, but there was no response. He was desperate. His daughter was something unimaginable. An Obscurial. Most children die at the age of ten, but their daughter was special. Her magic potential was beyond normal to survive at least one more year.

"She'll live." He said in softly voice. He had to lie to himself, she couldn't die. She doesn't even know, or does she? But the questions that ran through his mind at the speed of light and stole his attention were who, when and how. "She had to have suffered some kind of psychological or physical abuse to develop an Obscurus, Severus." Lily came into the room with a book titled, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

"Yes, and she had also been holding back her magic unconsciously. That's why we never saw anything unusual from her." He said, hands on his hips. "Why we thought she was a Squib." Lily nodded crying. "Will this affect your status at Hogwarts? Are not we going to send her?" Lily asked making a fuss in the room. Severus moved toward her and let her rest on his shoulder. "I'll take care of it." Severus gently responded embracing her hair and kissing her forehead.

...

A few hours later, Severus and Lily were in the room dancing, slowly, and Lily still couldn't hold her tears.

"Dad? Mom? What happened?" Helen sat on the bed, but the room was still shaking and a loud pinch hurt her ears. "Thank, God." Lily ran to her daughter's side and kneel next to the bed. Helen cleaned her mother's tears and noticed that her mother was holding an empty glass in her hand. Lily couldn't hold back herself, she was kissing and hugging her daughter again, it was a miracle. She was alive. Severus slightly smiled from where he was, verifying the potion at the table. It was empty.

"Tomorrow, If you're feeling well. I'll like to take you shopping." Severus saw her young angel smiled, yet, Severus himself glanced at her in a serious manner, in his thoughts one single thing remained to do.

 

 

 


	3. Family

_**-1991-** _

South East, England

Her eyes moved, and her skin itched. The glass of water next to her bed was reflecting light. The windows were half covered with black curtains, but the light that came in was intense, it had to be midday, Helen had thought. She sat on the bed and pulled back her sheet. "Dad?" Severus was in a corner of the room, sitting in a cloth chair reading the newspaper. He folded it and saw his daughter standing on the edge of the bed. Without thinking, he got up and went for the vase of water. Although it was not very different, Helen very quickly noticed that the water had a bright blue emission.

"I'm not thirsty." She said. He lifted his long black robe and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's just medicine, for your illness." She, who had not yet fully awaken, stared at him with half closed eyes and drank from the glass cup. "What?" Her mouth tasted a strip of acid, and she lay down the cup. Severus put the glass vase on the table next to the bed, and hold her hands. "I'll start from the beginning. Is time you know about our world."

"What world? Is this about magic been real?" Her head was burning again, and her breathing was skipping a bit. "Yes, and No." He answered. She crossed her eyebrows. "Aren't you working in town as a priest? About the teachings of "God" and all of that?" Severus opened his mouth, but Lily came into the room. "Are you feeling alright?" Helen nodded in responded.

"Sweetheart, it's time for you to know about our families." Lily knelt on the floor and put her hands on her daughter's legs. "Do you remember that I promised you a few days back to show you something wonderful?" Helen had bitten her lower lip. "Well-"

Helen snapped, "Mom, what do you mean a few hours ago?" Her body was trembling, she was not expecting it, had the world around her gone black again? The first time it had happened was not for more than a few minutes, but now it happened for hours? She never worried about telling her parents, but it seems that was a fatal mistake.

"You suffered from a strange disease from our world." He paused for a few seconds, "I am considered what is called a wizard in our world. Your mom and you are called Witches. You following me so far?" He narrowed his gaze at Lily, "Don't be so harsh on her." she tapped his leg. "Honey, if you don't want to hear this now, just rest-" She was cut short. "No, mom. I want to hear this." Helen sat towards her father.

"Fine, I'll go make breakfast," Lily said smoothly, she stood, kissed her daughter's head, and walked to the room's door. Severus touched her hand, "We'll be right behind you." he said, and she left the room with a brief smiled at them. "As I was saying, our world is on the same plane of existence as the muggles." Helen walked out of bed, "What does the word "Muggles" mean?" and pulled the bedroom curtains apart to embrace the sunlight on her skin. "A person without any magical trait." She heard it well, but something kept her distracted. There was a man outside in the yard with snow-colored hair and a long, unkempt beard in a knot.

"Who is he?" she pointed through the window, Severus jumped from bed to see who it was. "Is Dumbledore, stay here. Don't come down, unless we call you." He ran from the room.

...

Severus came down the stairs as fast as he could. Opening the back door, "You are here." His eyebrows lifted, and a small smile appeared on his face. His hands which were almost open when he stopped, received Lily who fell perfectly into his arms crying. "What happened?"

Dumbledore sighed, "As I was telling your wife, Severus. I am afraid there's no solution for your daughter's illness." Dumbledore clasped his hands in front of his long beard, and Severus saw the bright glow of his eyes. He wasn't lying, but as always useless. At least to him, and his family. He knew his feats, and he respected the man for it. One of the few powerful wizards that still live in this world stood before him, helpless in front of this parasite dark entity that had taken over his daughter.

"Severus, she lived a whole year. Most die at the age of ten. Maybe, just maybe, she will grow to live her whole life." Severus lowered his face toward Lily. "But that depends on your decisions." The wise-man came closer to them. "She needs to learn how to control her magic."

"What if we pull it out of her? There has to be a way, right?" Asked Lily separating herself from Severus. "She'll die if we do," Severus mumbled. Dumbledore nodded to her, and she looked at the two-man staring at each other fearlessly and walked to the house. Throwing the door as she entered. "I found a way to suppress it, a p-potion." he gritted his teeth. "Dark magic?" Dumbledore asked. Severus rose an eyebrow and nodded slightly. "What did you do, Severus?"

"I used unicorn blood as one of the ingredients." Severus clasped his hands, the shivered had to stop. Even his very soul felt the power of those words. But he could not let her go. It didn't matter if he was sent to Azkaban for it. "You will have only a half-life, a cursed life, Severus." Dumbledore walked passed him and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's what it takes, I'll pay any price." At this Dumbledore nodded, and respected his wish. "I'll trust you to do the right thing." He told Dumbledore.

"I'd like to see her if it's okay with you." Dumbledore walked toward the house, and Severus turned around to follow him inside.

...

Lily's elbows rested on the kitchen table. Breakfast was ready, and she was eating alone. Shaking her tears. "Lily?" It was her man's voice. But the first thing she saw was Dumbledore entering the room, the scene bitter her, "If it does not bother you, I'll take a seat." said the man. "I'll go for her," Severus said, climbing the stairs on the back hall.

"How is Severus?" Dumbledore frowned at her. "What about me? Hey, Lily how are you dealing with the fact that your daughter may fall dead at any moment? I'm fine, thank you very much!" Her hands crashed against the table, rolling the food out the plate. Dumbledore stood back in the chair, silently. "Lily, I'm sorry-" She stood up, "No, is my fault. I shouldn't have." She picked the food and plate, "Is fine-" he tried to said. "None of this is your fault." and she went to throw it all down in the sink.

Lily leaned back against the counter, turning her back on Dumbledore. "He's fine." She pulled the tears from her face and left her hand fell on the counter again. "Severus hasn't transformed, yet. He keeps drinking some potions, and stays inside during the full moon."

"Good. That's good." That wasn't alright. Lily may not know, but he was sure that Severus may have been using dark arts to make those potions, as he briefly confessed. High-level potions like that would take a certain amount of time, and he would need them daily, only through dark magic would he accomplished his goal. "And you?" he asked.

"Let's not talk about that, Severus, and Helen should come down at any time." Dumbledore nodded. "Of course."

"Will you stay for breakfast?" Her voice took on a more different kinder tone as she put the empty plates on the table. "I would like to be your guest for today, yes, thank you." When she put the fourth plate on the table, the doorbell rang.

...

Lily dried her hands with a small towel that she had taken from the counter and turned the knob on the door. "How are you, Evans?" Spoke the unannounced guest. The man had shaved and worn fine clothes. "Sirius, come in. Why didn't you send a letter that you were coming?" Hugging him, "I was not, I'm here for Dumbledore, in fact." He said shaking his hair. "How rude." She hit him hard on the shoulder, "Ouch, sorry. I've been busy, traveling and everything. How are things with Severus? Has he transform, yet?"

"He has kept the beast inside with his potions." They stared at each other briefly. "We were about to have breakfast, stay at least and eat something." Lily showed him the way, after taking his expensive black suit and hanging it in the closet next to the door. Sirius smiled, straightening the buttons of his long-sleeved shirt. "Where's my little Hel?" he said. Upon entering the corridor, he saw Helena walking in front of her father. She wore a princess dress, but it was completely black, and the dress was made of multiple layers of cloth.

She ran to him in her black shoes, under some black stockings. "Uncle, Black?" She yelled and hugged him. "Is been two months since your last visit," she added. "Has your father been helping you with your dress choices? God, they look awful." Sirius smiled pinching Helen's nose. "Don't be mean. Mom helped me make it."

"On that, we can agree. At least on Hogwarts, she won't be wearing those." Severus said seriously. "Hogwarts, huh." Sirius looked towards Severus and rose from his knees. Helen took his hand, and they went to the dining room. Severus put a hand on the wall and stopped Lily. "What is that man doing in our house, I told you," He stopped to take a breath. "I told you, that I did not want to see him around here, he is one of them." Lily crossed her eyebrows, and tighten her arms around her chest.

"No, it's not that, you do not want him here because of the last fight you had, which you lost." Severus frowned. "He's here for Dumbledore, well, I hope you behave, even if you do not like the man, do it for Helen at least." She lifted his arm to the side and went to the table. He sighed. "I'll behave if he does too."

...

She entered the dining room with her uncle, and the first thing she felt was a cold and choking sensation, it told her that there was a danger. She wanted to run from the place, but after her stomach clenched the sensation went away, she could felt the old man sitting at the table entering her very soul. Something was trying to invade her body, and the headache came back. Shivers went down her center. "Uh, hello," she said.

"Professor, Dumbledore." Sirius greeted, and sat down next to Helen. "Good morning, what brings you here Sirius?" Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked at Helen. "It can wait."

"And you are?" Helen said with her arms crossed. "Oh, yes. Where are my manners? I'm Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Your parents and this little troublemaker were students of mine once at Hogwarts." Severus sat down on the opposite side to Sirius, and Lily went to the kitchen passed the table. She grinned briefly and dropped it. "I'm Helen Snape Evans. What do you teach?" asked out of curiosity.

"Helen, be prudent." Sirius corrected her. "Is fine, Sirius." Dumbledore had her attention. Something he wanted. "I teach Transfiguration class, is a branch of magic that focuses on the alteration of the form or appearance of an object, via the alteration of the object's molecular structure." She opened her mouth, and her eyes widened. "So I can turn a person into a frog?"

"Yes, of course, or even a ferret. But you shouldn't do that ever, is illegal. Transfiguration is also a very hard type of magic and it takes more scientific ways than any other form of magic to perfect." Lily approached the table and on the plates, she placed a piece of bread, fried eggs, sausages, bacon, green beans and baby carrots. "Mom, I told you I don't eat meat." Dumbledore smiled, she looked just too innocent and dangerous at the same time.

"I brought you something." said the old teacher. Helen, who had not yet touched her plate, reached out to take a letter. "A letter for me? "H"? Hogwarts?" she deciphered with a smile on her face. She opened it.

...

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mrs. Snape,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

...

"Huh, sorry, but here it says that my owl was expected a day ago, I do not even have an owl. What does it mean?" Helen looked seriously at her mother as she sat next to Sirius. "I am sorry, professor, but we have not told her anything yet, she never showed magic in our presence, and we thought she was a," said Lily gazing at her daughter, Helen didn't have a happy look on her face. "Dad?" she asked. "Helen, when a child of a magical parent doesn't show any signs of magical abilities they are called a Squib. And they can't use magic or go to Hogwarts, so we decided to wait until the last moment, before making a decision."

Helen felt cold, and her cheeks turned pink, "Am I?" she lowered her head. "No. Of course not, dear," said Lily. Severus fixed his white mantle on top his legs. "So she is a witch?" asked Sirius biting a sausage. "Is complicated," said Lily. "What do you mean, mom?" Helen turned her plate away.

"She developed the parasite disease known as an Obscurus," Severus said without the desire to let those words out. "So she's an Obscurial? Cool," said Sirius.

"No. It's not "cool" is a rare disease without a cure." the other man sitting opposite to him barked back. "It is, she is still alive. Our world knows so little about this symbiotic creatures, and what they truly are. Many rumors come from America, it's said that the children develop a second consciousness or something like that. Their most wicked thoughts come to life. Is an actual historical event, if you ask me." Helen felt her chest compress, and it was suffocating her. Bouncing up from the table, she ran to the backyard. "You're such a prick," Severus yelled getting up and throwing the mantle on the table. Sirius got up too, "I'll talk to her-" Severus pointed at him,

"Do not even dare, sit down or you can leave the same way you came in". Severus shooked his robes and he went for Helen. Sirius got up and went to the front door, Lily followed.

...

Lily walked down the hall to the front door. Sirius was opening the closet and grabbing his coat. "Sirius, wait, do not leave like that, I'm sorry, you know that Severus has not yet dealt well with his past. Unlike us." She pulled on his arm. Sirius was already putting on his coat. "Do not worry Lily, it was my fault, I shouldn't have said that it was something involuntary, immature of me." He kissed her on the cheeks. "He still blames himself?" Sirius asked. "For what happened to James? Yes." Sirius nodded. "They weren't "friends" to begin with. Yet, the truth of what he did shacked Severus." He went to the door. "Will you be back, or this is farewell?" she asked.

"Tell Dumbledore, I'll wait for him outside." Sirius smiled at her, "Goodbye, Lily."

...

In the backyard, under a tree where all the sun leaves partial shades, Helen was sitting with her knees on her face. "Helen," Severus mumbled, taking his distance. "Look." She looked up, her storm of thoughts was over, she smiled at the view of an animal on Severus's arm. It was a snowy owl. "Where did you get an Owl?" She stood up and cleaned her tears. "Do you think you can handle it?" She acknowledged with a nod. He placed the bird on her forearm. "Is yours, I just bought it."

She gave him a stern looked. "You just bought him? In the middle of nowhere?" Severus smirked. "I went to a place, and came back in an instant."

"Let me guess, Magic?" He stared at her without comment. Helen sighed and turned on her back. "Is called, Apparition. A magical form of teleportation, through which a witch or a wizard can disappear from one location and reappear in another. You don't even need a wand to do it." She smiled without letting him see.

"Wait. A wand?" She petted her bird's back. "Oh, yes. It's your turn to have a wand too, that reminds me, come."

Helen approached her father with her new bird. "Shadow," Helen said, looking her father in the eye. "What?" He said in response. "It's his name, I'll call him, Shadow."

Severus smiled, "But he's white, and "he" is a she. The owl was the only female in the shop."

"Oh, well, it doesn't change anything. Her name will be, Shadow."

"Very well, now listen carefully. I'll take you shopping for your school clothes and items, but we will be going by Apparition-"

"Teleportation you mean?"

"Yes. Now the sensation is unpleasant, and you may vomit. I hope you can hold yourself."

"I didn't eat, so I should be good. You can take me to eat once we are there. Some magic food."

"There isn't such thing as magic food."

"Oh, then whatever the magicians eat."

"Wizards, Helen. Not magicians. Those muggle's always trying to deceive people into thinking that they are Wizards."

"So Wizard food?"

"Fine, I'll take you to eat something. Now grab my arm." Helen smiled wickedly. Her goal was accomplished.

Severus's arm twisted away from her and re-doubled her grip. Everything went black, and the light was coming from everywhere. She saw the two blind haze eyes, following her every atom. Her body was pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breathe, there were two giant hand's tightening and splitting her chest open. Her eyeballs were being forced back into her head, and her ear-drums were being pushed deeper into her skull.

Then everything stopped.

...

"Dad?" she asked. But nobody responded. The floor around her was all white. Clouds move alongside her legs, or at least that's what they looked like. There were no doors, windows or even a roof. In the center of the room, there was a black cloud floating in mid-air, with a red substance inside. She came closer, and slowly put her hand on it, and it hit her back. Her arm was stunned, and the dark mass crawled over her arm. "What are you!?" she yelled. "I-I want to live. The poison is killing me."

She couldn't believe it. The Obscurus had talked to her, for the first time. The Obscurus did have a consciousness, just like her uncle said. Hundreds of questions flow her head, "Poison?" Helen remembered the bright blue emission from the water. "No." She couldn't find the sufficient air and sat down. "You're the poison get away from me." Between breaths, she insisted. The black mass of darkness approached her, it grabbed her by the shoulder and directly entered her through the ear. No matter how much Helen screamed, the Obscurus did not care, it just wanted to leave her body.

...

"We've arrived-," said Severus, "the Leaky Cauldron. One of the many gateways into our world. I just wanted for you to know." Shadow, flew to his arm, she had left Helen's side. " Severus's petted the bird. "It seems she isn't used to magical travel," He looked down at his daughter which long hair obscured her face. "and you?" he added.

"I'm fine," she said. Severus moved to the tiny, grubby-looking pub in front of them. The people hurrying do their mundane jobs didn't glance at them at all. Typical of muggles. Helen's eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop, guessing that the Leaky Cauldron was in the middle of both.

Severus came in first, and she walked to the door arranging her hair away from her face. Helen's eyes were filled with a haze of darkness and her hair floated like smoke from nearby chimneys. A smile adorned her face. Helen was sleeping deep in her conscience. Trapped. Whatever was behind Severus, was not his daughter.

 


	4. Diagon Alley

 

_**-1991-** _

Leadenhall Market, London

Her eyes had clear, now they stain brown in crimson lightness, the place was very dark and shabby. Elder's of the old wizarding world lay sat in every corner, drinking to their heart's content. She sighed at this scenario, it was still morning, and couldn't even start imagining how her father knew about this place. The discovery had her lungs contracted, a string of chills embraced her body, and she was coughing.

One of the wizards had been smoking. She deducted from the pipe in his hand. Her host wasn't that older than herself. A newborn of age. She wasn't too used to the body like she hoped. But for the first time, she had been looking at the world through solid eyes. Her own eyes.

Noticing the little man with the top hat, her eyes met who he was talking to. The old bartender, it was too funny, really. She did her best to stop laughing. The bartender was rather bald and looked like a toothless nut. The low murmured conversation stopped when they entered. They were glanced at by everyone as if they knew Helen was not Helen anymore.

Apparently, someone in the smelly cabin seemed to know her father; They waved at him from the counter, and the waiter with glass on hand said, "A drink, Severus?"

"I have not drunk, since James and I-" The man stopped, "...when we were here for the last time." For some reason, the name of this James fellow bothered him. Helen, who was not Helen, decided to take her own lead in this matter, "What are we doing here, ..." father "?" The words were delayed, but she could not break her act. They should not know who she really was.

"Tom, no disrespect, I'm just passing through, to buy the Hogwarts gear for my daughter," Severus said, his free hand on Helen's shoulder, it caused Shadow to flapped her wings wildly. "By Merlin's beard," said the bartender, peering at Helen, "she's the living image of you," Severus smirked at his compliment.

While the dumb adults talked, in her presence, she looked around the place. Her stomach sank when she made contact with a pale young man, he was making his way toward them, very nervous. One of his eyes was shaking.

"Professor Snape!" said the man, he was wearing a wine-colored robe tied around his head. "Helen, meet Professor Quirrell, unfortunately, he will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"N-N-Nice to meet you," Professor Quirrell stammered, grabbing Helen's hand, "I can not tell you how happy I am to meet one of the children who survive You-Know-Who's wrath. What a beautiful child." He smiled and patted her head. Professor Quirrell left a girl's cry as he withdrew his hand which had a cut on his finger. Helen's eyes were staring at him, unblinking, and he felt a dark presence within her, but for some reason, Severus did not notice it. Or did he already knew?

Professor Quirrell frowned. "W-W-Well, see you at Hogwarts." He turned around and left to attend his hand. Snape looked from the corner of his eye towards Helen, clearly noticing that the Obscurial wanted his presence known. But the strangest thing was her hair, it seemed unusual for him. He could not clearly identify the problem. But he could swear to have seen her hair moved.

"What kind of magic does Professor Quirrell teach?" Helen quickly broke the atmosphere, and Snape came back from his thoughts. "Defense Against the Dark Arts," muttered Severus, as though he'd rather not think about it. But deep down, he knew that was a lie. He had wanted the position for years. Yet, Dumbledore didn't seem to trust him. Severus didn't have the time or patience to introduce her daughter to the entire wizarding community.

He grabbed her hand, and they got away from them all. Shadow was calmed on his forearm. But Severus could feel her legs shaking.

They managed to move to the other side, to a small walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and some weeds. "This place sucks." She murmured. Severus smiled, agreeing with her opinion. "We have a lot to buy, come on, dad." He sneered at her, "Right, stand back." He tapped the wall three times with the point of his wand. He already knew this trip was gonna be expensive indeed.

The brick he had touched shuddered, twisted, in the middle, a small hole appeared, widened and widened, a second later they were facing a large enough arch, it was an archway to a twisted cobblestone street and the wall disappeared from sight. "This is," Severus said, "Diagon Alley."

After a few steps, Severus saw the astonishment on his daughter's face. He did not know what he was bringing to the magical world, yet. They crossed the open wall. She looked around, and even turned back and saw that the hollow was instantly filled with a solid wall. The bright sun reflected from a pile of cauldrons outside the nearest store. She covered her eyes, felt her body disheveled and fell to the ground.

Cauldrons - All sizes - Copper, brass, pewter, silver - Self-stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging above them, but in her mind they were changing shape, becoming thin and wide and some even looked like toothpicks. Everything went black. She couldn't breathe. "Helen!" Severus call out catching her before she hit the floor, "It will be alright." Shadow stood on the floor, next to Severus, staring at her new owner without been able to do anything to help.

...

Once again the room opened, white sheets adorned the place, a bed was in the center and the young woman in the black dress rested on it. Her ears echoed as a scream with gusts of wind sounds entered the room, like a flash of Apparition. She sat on the bed and looked at the entity, it had taken a female appearance. It dressed like her but with inverted colors. Her eyes stared at her, Helen stood up from the bed and had hidden behind it. "You can not hide," The Obscurus said. Helen leaned out, to identify the creature.

Its eyes were pure white without pupils. "All I see you can see, and all you see I can see." Helen didn't know what she was talking about and did her best to contain her shaken body.

"Let me go," she said. "Silly, you just need to learn." Her evil, the double-looking creature was on the bed, looking at her with a grimed smile. Helen noticed that her hair was curly as opposed to her straight hair, and it seemed to have a life of its own. It moved like the wind. "Where are we? And what are you?" Helen asked, getting away from the bed, a tear began to drop from her dark green eyes. Her chest was accelerating, but it stopped when she saw that the creature's white eyes turned brown crimson, and she was also crying from the same eye.

"This place is a kind of space-time bridge for your world, in our head," Helen felt immobile quickly, not understanding her words, she hugged her legs against her chest. "Oh, yes. I am You and you are Me." The Obscurus walked to her slowly.

"Lies!" Helen yelled. "You are a monster, get out of me. Parasite." Helen lowered her head to her knees. "Sorry, but we can't have that, if we do separate, we will both die. As I am a part of you." Helen rose her face drowned in tears. "I hate you. You know how much time has passed?"

"Funny you should mention that look at the wall, there's a clock there." Helen nodded. "I know, is been twenty-four hours since you left me here," she said.

"Interesting, one day inside here is one hour on the outside world." The Obscurus sat on the floor and crossed her legs. It had been counting with his fingers. "I was born on the eight winter of your life, assuming our math skills are correct. I have been here for twenty-six thousand, two hundred eighty hours, that's seventy-two years." Helen's eyes widened, she really had been here this long?

She remembered her fifth year in elementary school. That was the year that the bullying was reinforced on her by the girl who was transferred from another school. She hated those days and preferred to erase them completely from her mind.

"You have been here alone for seventy-two years?" Helen asked, forgetting who she was talking to.

"Now how does that make me a monster, Helen? When you were the one keeping me locked up in here, like an animal!" A grinned formed widen on her plain face, "You're the monster, Helen. Not me."

A light blinded them both, and everything else vanished.

...

A soft, low howl came from a nearby place, Helen blinked and opened her eyes looking up at a ceiling, worn and rotten. She was not in her own bed, the surroundings were not known to her, and Shadow was the one causing havoc in a cage near the bed on a desk. A soothing ardor runs through her temporal bone, it did not hurt as before, but it stayed there, constantly stinging.

She turned over, and on top of the desk, there was a letter laying on clean clothing. She opened it, and read.

...

'Dear, Helen.

"I went to the bank, wait for me in the room. I left a spell on the door so no one can enter. In case you need to leave, you can do it without problems. I'll be back shortly. I've left you some medicine on the table, in case your headaches come back. Don't drink more than a drop and a glass of water."

With love, Dad.'

...

Helen folded the letter and placed it on the table. Taking the black elastic close-fitting pants, and small black t-shirt, she changed clothes. Placing her feets into her new ankle buckle slouch boots she rose from the bed and walked to the window. Then stopped altogether. She didn't open the windows. Something felt wrong with it. Memories came back to her, her body shrinking and expanding on the light when she teleported with her father. Then, light from a blurred memory, a cauldron reflecting light toward her. It made her heart skip a beat.

She withdrew and sat on the floor next to the desk. With knees to the chest. She stared at her owl, who was constantly looking back at her.

"So is only you and me, Shadow."

She sang to her for a few minutes. And without any response from the bird, not that she expected one, Helen's cheeks soaked, tears came down through them. Feeling numbness feet, she stood up slowly, dragging her hand over the table to push herself up. She tried to walk to the bed when bangs fell on the door. She jumped on her spot. "Miss, Snape, are you awake?"

"W-Who is it?" she asked. "Is Tom. The innkeeper?", there was a pause, "Sorry, I do not remember-" she yearned for those memories. "We met five minutes ago. Severus told me to bring you something to eat." Helen refrained from going directly to the door. Who was this man?

Even on an empty stomach, she did not feel like opening the door. Tom said he knew her, but for her, he and his voice were a mystery. Maybe, the Obscurus was what he met instead of her? She lowered her shoulders in relief, the creature had not hurt someone this time. Or so she expected. "Leave it in the hall, and go, please. Dad put a spell on the door, I don't want anyone to get hurt, I'll pick it up after you go."

"As you wish, Miss." A brief moment felt like an eternity, but she managed to hear the lower staircase shrink from a man's footstep. Helen waited another minute and went directly to the knob. Turning it around, there the door opened in all its splendor. And her cheerful face fell when she saw her father in front of her. "If it had been a test, it would be a zero. Total failure."

"Wait. So it was you?" She raised her brow. "Magic is very useful, and there will be people willing to use it to harm others." Severus came inside with a few things that Helen couldn't even start imagining in context, putting them on the bed, he said. "Let this be your first lesson."

"I hate magic." She whispered, and her headache came back. One of her eyes changed color from dark green to crimson brown. Her father looked at her strangely, "What?" she asked. "Nothing, have you taken the medicine?" He replied, without saying anything about her appearance. She shooked her head in denial and he went to the table. Severus poured some water into a glass, and reached into the pocket of his tunic, and took out a glass jar with a silver-colored substance. He handed her the glass that illuminated light blue, and she held it for a minute without any impulse to drink it.

"Well?" He said. "Dad, is this even necessary? I feel fine." asked the little girl.

"Where is the question coming from? It's for your own good." Said her father. She sort of smiled, not very happy about it, and gulped. She handed him the glass, "Good." Severus said, "I'll put a few of them in your trunk with your school supplies. I already bought it for you, only a few things are missing, we will go out a buy them soon. Do not hesitate to tell me, if you ran out of potions." She nodded.

"Take one drop every three hours with water. You can prepare a whole bottle for each day, and carry it to classes. You will be taking Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Herbology, and Flying lessons. Each class lasts an hour."

"Basically, I'll be drinking my first shot after waking up, the second shoot in potions class, the third one on Astronomy, fourth after classes are over and so on."

"Just add eight drops for each potion bottle. And worry that it lasts for the whole day."

"But, what about if I take more than eight sips? Or what happens if I don't wake up every three hours to drink it during the night?" The pain had relieved, but she was getting anxious again.

"Taking more than eight sips from the same bottle can cause irreversible damage. During the night time, there isn't much we can do about it."

"Isn't that dangerous of a gamble?", Helen swallowed, "What if it that thing comes back again?" she murmured.

"It won't," he stated.

"How are you so sure?"

"Trust me. Now eat something, we'll be leaving soon. I'll go take a bath."

...

Shadow was left behind, and they exited the inn. The flicker of sunlight left her sightless, but she did not let it go on and lowered her eyes to the floor. At the edges of the Leaky Cauldron, Severus stood with an opened letter. "Let's see was is missing," Helen did not know what to ask first, or even what to buy. She could buy anything now that her father had gave her a bag full of money. Coins, strange ones. She didn't even know how the monetary system worked. Wizard money was so different from the muggle one. How much Galleons were a pound? She was restraining herself from asking. Biting her lower lip.

"Four pounds and ninety-three cents each," Severus said, still reading the letter. "What?" Raising one of her "s" sharp eyebrows, and her warm fingers pierced her smoothed hair, pulling him back.

"Each Galleon is worth four pounds and ninety-three pence each. A Sickle is worth twenty-nine pence. Isn't that what was bothering you?" Severus gazed at her, and Helen saw a clear reflection of boredom. "How did you-"

"Mind-reading." Severus moved on. "Whoa." Helen followed after him, and the time there was fast, faster than she expected. They had just left Flourish and Blotts with her new school books; Magical Drafts and Potions, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, A History of Magic, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Magical Theory, and a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

"Thirteen galleons isn't a bad price." The sight of her was focused on the manuscript in her hand, it was the list of her school supplies. "You mean compared to your muggle school books?" She nodded in response.

They went down the alley and stopped at a shop. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. An average place compared to the other shops, the light lurid colors weren't bad, and she could see inside through the middle window. The wood that covered the place was old, and it looked like it could go down any moment.

"I'll buy your school uniform," Severus extended his hand toward the door.

...

"Those are too small, squat witch." Helen flicked, how could the witch dressed all in mauve smiled after that? The young boy standing next to her had insulted her looks. The boy had silver-blond hair and was wearing a plain black robe over his formal clothes, reaching his ankles, Helen and Severus made their way toward Madam Malkin, her fingers were trembling. His tone made her remembered the boys from her old school. "Oh, dear, Severus come in," she said when the boy started talking. "Are you the professor Snape?" He rose an eyebrow and walked to him. "So you're the Head of Slytherin House? I can't wait to be-"

"Don't care." He passed by him, "I'll need ten uniforms to start, for my daughter." The boy's mouth opened, he desired to yelled rubbish at him, but then he saw Helen. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He extended his hand to her, "I-I-" Before she could say anything, Severus dragged her close to him under his long robe. "Severus, dear, I have a lot here that you can choose from." She walked away. "This little guy is being equipped, I'll be back, just give me a second."

"My father is next door buying my books, and mother is in the wand shop," said the boy. He had a fancy bored voice for Helen's taste, it made her shivered. "They will hear about this insolence." Helen didn't know what was happening, but apparently, her father was a teacher at Hogwarts. But those questions could wait, what mattered was the arrogant child threatening her father. She made her move to get out of her father's side and say two or three things to the brat, but Severus completely understood or maybe he read her mind again. He approached the child, leaving Helen behind him, and told him.

"I look forward to our meeting, your whole family has been in Slytherin. I would take this matter seriously if I were you. You don't want to spend the whole year in detention, now do we?" Severus threatened in a low tone, and Draco gulped. He looked at his daughter, and she said. "You'd better keep this secret between us, for your sake," Helen said coming out from behind her father, with her sharp eyes on him. Severus heard her breathing increased, and her fist closed. The desire to hit someone had inflated her limits.

The old lady returned and handed the new clothes to Draco. "Here you are, your father had already paid for them." Draco smiled knowing that was not true, and in a low voice he turned towards her dark green eyes. "Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," he said with a mockingly smile as he turned and left the shop. "Dad, can you turn him into a frog?" said Helen, who was standing silently without making any facial expression. Severus coughed enduring his inner laughter. "As much as I'd like, it's impossible."

"I'll be with you now, miss." the witch was behind the counter taking out some clothes and placing them on a stand next to a mirror. Severus leaned to his knees in front of his daughter, when Helen looked down, he was fixing one of her boots that had the brooch lose. When he got up, he came near her ear and whispered. "But nothing stops you from doing it if you know the spell, of course, nobody should see you." She smiled at her father and hugged him. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too." Severus kissed her forehead and rose. The only thing in Helen's mind was her goal. To turn that boy named Draco into a frog someday. No matter how many years it takes her to learn such spell.

...

Helen was nay soundless on there way down the alley next to her father. "What's bothering you now?" said Severus. "I still don't know a lot," Helen recognized. "What was that back there?" They stopped to review the shopping list. Only one thing was missing. Her wand. "That is a subject for another occasion. You do not have to worry about that. Just stay away from him."

"What's a Slytherin House, and what do you teach in it?" They stopped at the end of the alley, in front of a building three stories high, with broken walls and windows, a very cold place. Enough to lift the hairs from Helen's hands. "Schoolhouses. In the first year student's are sorted into one of the four houses at Hogwarts. In my first year in Hogwarts, I was sorted into Slytherin. I still remember it," The day he almost lost Lily forever. "...and now I am in charge of the Slytherin house-"

"Then, I'll be in Slytherin too." She said eagerly expecting a smile from her father with pride, but it never came. He just had a worried look instead. He did not say anything and went into the shop. She saw peeled letters in gold at the door, read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. And what she thought was a wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window, and she followed him inside.

...

The place was narrow and shabby, and a singsong bell rang somewhere in the back of the shop when they walked inside. It was a tiny place compared to the others, there was no one in the shop, just a large counter in front of her, and a single thin chair by the window where Severus sat arranging his cloak. Helen felt a strange, cold sensation. The place looked as if she had entered a library that had been wallowed by someone looking for something. There were thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly on the ceiling, on the walls and the floor.

For some reason, her breathing fell short again. The dust rose wherever you walked as if the place had never been cleaned, the complete silence caused Helen's muscles to contract on themselves. "Good afternoon," said a soft voice from behind her. Helen jumped."No need to be so jumpy." Severus sighed at her daughter's reaction, "Oh, I remember very well, at the black-haired boy who bought his first wand, a very scared child indeed." Helen did not know what those names were, but he was definitely talking about her father. It had made her smiled.

"I'm here for a wand," said Helen awkwardly. "Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. Your wand, not a wand." Helen shook her hair, scratching her head, perhaps there was some difference. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday Lily was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work." The man himself, Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Helen. The man hadn't blink since they got there, those silvery eyes were a bit eerie, it was like he could see into her soul.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a blackthorn wand. Ten inches. Dragon heartstring. Little one, are you excited to get your wand- it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

"Well, now - Miss. Snape. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"I'm left-handed," said Helen. "Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured her from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss, Snape. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Helen's heart missed a beat, the tape measure, had been measuring between her nostrils, all on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Snape. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

She took the wand and waved it around making circles, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once, he looked mad, and she had to doubt if this man was mentally stable.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Try-" Helen did as asked- but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"Definitely not- here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out." Helen didn't bother waving it. She didn't have the slightest idea of what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tested wands rose higher and higher on the counter, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he looked. Apparently, he liked a challenge.

"Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere, now. Yes, why not? This one- silver lime wood, unicorn spiral horn, eight inches, slick and thick."

The wand looked weird but likable. Helen took the wand, and she felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her chest, and swing it down. A stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Severus got up and said, "Finally, I was about to nap." Mr. Ollivander said in joy, "Oh, very well. Very well, indeed, Miss Snap."

He put Helen's wand in a black box and wrapped it in a silvery white paper, still mumbling, Helen shivered. Mr. Ollivander seemed like a nice man, but scary nonetheless. Severus paid seven gold Galleons for the wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

...

It was already dusky, the buildings had covered the sun when Helen and Severus went back down Diagon Alley, crossed the wall and went back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Only a man sat at a table in the corner of the inn. From what Helen saw, the man had long silver or white hair, the darkness of the place did not let her see well. With walking stick in hand, he got up and tapped the ground three times. It was black, and it had a snake's head for a handle with emerald eyes.

His father stopped and faced him. "You didn't think about leaving without a proper greeting, Severus." Now he fixed his eyes on the girl that was at his side. "And who is the little one?"

"Mr. Malfoy." Severus greeted in disgust. "Just Lucius, please." He had a nasty smile on his face. "This is my daughter, Helen." Severus looked at his daughter. "Helen, meet Lucius Malfoy. Draco's father." Helen guzzled before replying, "H-Hello, sir." He approached them, "Do you mind if you both come for dinner? I have news from the ministry." He looked at the place, it was not to his liking but it was the only place he would find Severus.

Before Severus refused, Mrs. Malfoy and her son came down from the second floor. Her eyes on Severus all the time. Helen noticed how tall, and slim she was, "nice looking" wasn't in her books, she hated blondes. Her blue eyes didn't leave Severus, and Draco just walked beside his father, raising his eye browns at Helen, taunting her.

"Well, Severus?" said Mrs. Malfoy cold voice. Severus nodded. "Helen, go get your things and owl. We'll be joining the Malfoy's for dinner." She ran out to the second floor and left them alone. He hated it, but maybe-just maybe Helen could learn from this experience, and never talk to Malfoy's again. "On one condition", this made Lucius look at Severus again, he had been checking the empty glasses on the table with his cane.

Mr. Malfoy smiled, "I like men with ambition like yours, Severus, it's a pity you could not serve You-Know-Who." He wandered away from him, "Narcissa will bring the two of you home." He placed a hand on the shoulder of his son who was smiling like a yank, and Severus witness the Disapparition of the two. "You need something, Severus?" she looked at him from top to bottom, walking towards him, up-close to his chest and took both his hands and didn't gaze away from his black eyes. "Yes. I've no one else to go to." He mumbled lowly, "Dumbledore can't help me either."

"Remember, I was always there for you during your Auror exams," she then looked sideways to the floor, "...which we both failed in the end, anyway." and smiled at him. He scoffed. "Don't bring back old memories."

"What do you need?" She asked, flirting with him.

"I need ...I need unicorn blood. Your husband is the only one who can snatch it from the ministry or buy it in the underground market. Is for my daughter, she has this illness, and I ...I would do anything for her." He looked at her with damp eyes, and he looked for an answered on her face, but there was no emotion or sorrow. "Killing a unicorn the first time was a very bad, but I had no choice or the time."

"But now you do. We all have choices to make, Severus." Narcissa finally said, looking at his lips, and biting her own. She yearned for him. What kind of dark magic was he planning to do? Her heart had a lofty keen. "What will I receive in exchange for helping you? Of course, everything has a prize. I already have money, I don't need more. I know. I want something else."

"What?" Severus asked as she brought the tip of her nose closer to his. "Something special, Severus. Something that only someone who steals your heart can give you." She did not have to say it, he knew what she wanted from him. She licked his cheeks one's, twice, and for the third time, and a sweetly moist kissed landed on his lips. Narcissa pulled away, and she felt his breath. He stopped thinking, she had closed the deal. She quickly went for another free round, and let out low whispers, and growls. "Like the good old days, you haven't lost your touch, Severus." Her thoughts darken. "You won yourself a glass, but if you want more, they come with a price." She stepped back from him. Severus wiped his lips with the black sleeves of his attire. "So it has come to this. Huh?" said a frigid voice from the stairs.

Shadow was panicking in her cage, while Helen crawled her trunk from the last stair, and placed the cage on the ground. "Oh, dear, we were just-" Narcissa was interrupted by those brown crimson eyes that they both notice for the first time. "Helen?" Asked Severus. "Helen isn't here "dad", is me your daughter, Hel." The Obscurus had taken a new name.

 

 


	5. Black Future

_**-1991-** _

Charing Cross Road, London, England, Great Britain

"Severus?" asked Mrs. Malfoy with concerned. Helen was burning with her whole body lit in smoke, not literally. Her hair flowed like fume, and Narcissa knew that it couldn't have been the wind, the tavern was a closed place. "Helen, this isn't you," Severus remembered that Helen had taken the medicine before leaving, but it was already dark and she had not taken it since then. Neither of them had taken the potion flask with them to Diagon Alley, and now the Obscurus was trying to take over her body because of it.

With his hands in front of him showing no sign of resistance against her presence, Severus tried to get close to her. Hel twisted her head to the side and stared at him. "I'm not here to fight, neither of us want this body destroyed." She smiled. Her physical body, Helen's body, had fused with the atmosphere and it rose through the air over the tables like a dark shadow. Knocking down the table behind her, Narcissa jumped out and pulled out her wand. "Don't," Severus told her in a soft manner.

Mrs. Malfoy's hands trembled. This kind of creature was dangerous. Now she saw how sick his daughter was. "Severus, do something," she said, unsure that she would not cast a spell on her. Her skin was freezing, but her inside structure was warm. "Let me speak with my daughter, please." He begged, knowing that there was not much he could do. Severus could not even think of fighting his own blood and flesh.

There was a dark presence in the room. Narcissa had deduced such a thing, but it had the appearance of an innocent eleven-year-old girl. Her cheeks engorged, the feeling had reverted her stomach. Severus went over to the opposite side of the room. He waved his hand to Narcissa, and she nodded lowering her wand. She trusted him. She knew how much he longed for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Even when she was five years older than him, Severus had the knowledge and experience to deal with this kind of things. Knowledge and experience that she could not begin to understand.

Helen turned to look at her father while her incorporeal body floated in the air. It had already reached this level. "How?" Severus asked. He knew the tales, the Obscurus were not to be trusted, most did not have a good conscience and always destroyed everything in their path. But this one. The one inside his daughter was in some way, different. Was his daughter keeping it at bay? He could not get a clear answer, but he knew that this was a good sign. He could talk and reason with it. There are still mysteries surrounding these creatures origins, secrets that the Ministry of Magic does not even have registered. He hoped, just hoped, that one day she could break free of this thing.

Hel noticed that both grown-ups were leading her to the middle of the room, blocking her escape roads. She smiled landing on the floor and taking physical form. Looking at Narcissa with the tail of her eye. She was behind her, and they were approaching her slowly. One of Hel's eyes changed to dark green, "Dad?" she said. Severus knew that Helen was fighting it at that very moment. Fighting for control. "Helen, listen to the sound of my voice and follow it." The creature got down on its knees and started screaming, wind engulfed in a red substance started flowing out of her. Helen was returning from the space-time bridge room. The floor of the inn began to shatter as so did the ceiling and surroundings.

Narcissa raised her wand once more but was disarmed by a slap of the wind that was coming out of Hel. She flew across the room, crashing against a table. Tom- the Innkeeper went down the stairs, "What the hell is going on-" he was half paralyzed when he saw the creature, and the silver tray he was carrying fell to the floor. Helen's eyes met a light that came from the plate. It was the reflection of the moon. Hel screamed and flew back to the counter and hid behind it. Severus saw this. And it occurred to him the most probable and helpless idea. "Lumos Maxima," Severus said producing a blinding flash of bright white light from the tip of the wand. He had thrown the light so far off of the wand, that it ended up illuminating all Diagon Alley, for several seconds, until the Obscurus disappeared from the room and it darkens once more.

Severus ran behind the counter. There she was lying down hugging her knees, and Severus kneeled down to pick her up against his arms. Narcissa had already been up and approached him. "Severus, your daughter has a very dangerous gift." She smirked, thinking about the young woman's future, what if she learned to control such power. Or even if that thing takes total control of her body one day. "Now you know why I made my decisions, the potion is the only thing that keeps it inside."

"That's why it hasn't burst out, destroying everything on its path." she stopped for a second rolling her eyes, "Can the potion slowing down effect has anything to do with the Obscurus becoming self-aware of its surroundings?"

"I don't know." Severus looked away from them, enveloped in deep thought.

...

The place was a mess, and it felt like it had been hours since she got here. Even if everything was white in the room, Helen could tell that the clock was broken, the bed destroyed and the whole floor full of feathers from the pillow. "Hello!?" Helen shouted across the room, but there was no answered. Everything around her left a hollow echo in the distance, each time she took a step she heard her own step three times buzzing constantly. "Is anyone here?" she yelled. No answered came, only silence was cuddling her.

Helen sat on what was left of the bed, and she waited. She reclined, closed her eyes and everything went dark. Everything was black, but something went up through her hand, she could feel the tickling sensation in her right hand. Something was touching her skin, Helen jumped opening her eyes just to see Hel sat in bed. The room got smaller as she saw her crimson brown eyes staring at her unblinking.

...

Malfoy Manner

Helen's eyes widened and she took a deep breath. In seconds she had sat on the bed. It happened again. She was there along with that black conscience once again. Helen's hands trembled. By taking a couple of steps out of bed, she quickly noticed that this was not her home. The place was big and beautiful. Everything was in its place, very different from her own room. Helen noticed the bright green curtains and the silver that adorned the bed, very striking colors. It was night-time when she pulled back the curtains from the window. There was not much light in the room, the low glow of the room came from a candle on a table.

"Mom? Dad?" she asked, but no one replied. She hugged her shoulders and waited by the bed. An extended thunderstruck hit the outskirts of the room. Helen saw again through the window that the rain had begun. She heard one, two, three knocks at the door of her room. Slowly she went to the door. "Who is it?" There was no answer. When she opened the door a child of her age was standing near the wall. Blond-white hair and grey eyes. "Hi," Helen said to the young boy who was eating a green apple. "Mum said to take you downstairs. Follow me," he replied.

Helen swallowed. She followed the young man through the corridors. "Where I am?" she asked scared. "This is my house, quite sharp, don't you think?"

"I guess so,"

"You guess so?"

Helen nodded looking at the vein of the angry child's forehead.

"What kind of answer is that?"

Helen remained silent and waited, but he didn't apologize. She passed by him and ran down the stairs to the floor below.

...

In a table built for about twenty people, only Severus, Narcissa and Lucius were. Dinner was already served, they were just waiting for the children. The house elves were bringing the silverware for dinner when Lucius decided to speak. "So an Obscurus,?" Severus nodded in fear. What would they do with such knowledge? If the ministry ever finds out, Lily could lose their daughter forever. Severus' fingers echoed on the table as he waited for Malfoy's demands.

"I hope it is to your liking." Lucius expressed as he gave Severus a parchment. Severus' eyes were pleased but his chest compressed. "What's the catch?" He knew this was too good to be true. A letter sign by the minister of magic to appoint Severus Snape as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Narcissa brought a grape to her lips as she watched Snape closely. Lucius took noticed of this but ignored altogether. "What's your answer, Severus?" he asked.

"I'll give you anything. My loyalty if you want, but leave my daughter out of-" Luscious declined him quickly, "No." he said. "The deal is you get to have your dream profession and the founding's you need for your daughter's treatment." Severus frowned and demanded, "In exchange for the future of my daughter? Lily will never accept this,"

"Your wife would be wise to accept," said Mrs. Malfoy, "...your daughter will marry our son when she comes of age, and the legacy of both families will live on. This will also pledge your loyalty and the safety of your family to the Dark Lord once he rises to power anew." Severus gulped. "And if I refuse?"

"Everyone will know how sick your daughter is. Your legacy will die with her and your family will be our enemies." Lucius caught his gaze, "But I'm sure you're an intelligent man and you'll make the right choice." Severus pressed the parchment in his hand, everything about him refused to sign it. "Can I at least talk about it with my wife?" Lucius nodded. "Of course, but a man doesn't need to concern his wife with manly matters," Narcissa smirked drinking wine. "Dad!?" Helen shouted. Severus turned in his chair and caught his daughter in his arms. "Everything is fine," Severus said.

"Take a seat, Miss Snape," Lucius added. She looked at her father, who gave her an approved. Draco arrived later and sat next to his father looking at Snape. "So father told you the details?" In that moment, Severus knew that this was all a plan. A plan created to take retribution against someone. Even if Helen was a pure-blood and a princess, her whole family was not. But the little roach didn't care about that. He just wanted a prize. A doll. Severus disliked the boy's very existence, he was just like his father. How much would Severus pay just to poison his pumpkin juice at Hogwarts?


	6. Future Black

_**-1991-** _

South East, England

Helen had outworn most of her time in bed when they arrived at the early morning hours. Her symptoms were not improving. Everything she remembered was a collapse when she arrived at the alley with her father. She held a gem as colorless, or pale blue, it was transparent to translucent and had two directions of cleavage. Biting her lip she snapped it in two, it was very brittle and has a vitreous to pearly luster. She put the two pieces of rock to one side, the only thing she liked in the world; collect rocks, it was not to her liking anymore. It bored her, maybe it was the anxiety building in her. Sitting in bed all day was boring and soon she found herself walking down the stairs to the floor below. "Good morning, mum."

"Good evening, beauty, you've been sleeping all day." Helen finished going down the stairs and sat at the table. "Where's dad?" Lily stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. Lily put on a masked smile when turned around to her daughter. "He's working, he'll be late today." Her daughter looked at her with suspicion, while she placed the dishes on the table for both. "Mum ...are the Malfoy's bad people?"

"Now, where did you get that idea?" answered Lily as she sat on a chair next to Helen. "Dad told me." Lily looked at her daughter's eyes. "If your father says it, is for good reason. They were once followers of the most fearsome dark wizard of our generation." Helen took a carrot with a fork and brought it to her lips. "Do you think you can teach me magic before going to school?" Lily let go of the cutlery and sighed. "Honey, students are not allowed to use magic outside of school until they are of age."

"But you can. I just want to see, please." Lily smiled, "Alright, come."

When Lily went outside with her daughter, she looked at the full moon over the sky and smiled briefly. When her daughter passed by her side to the garden tree, Lily went after her. "Mum, turn the tree into a frog."

"Ha,ha,ha. Your dad told me. You're not gonna learn how to turn people into frogs."

"But, Mum-"

"Look at this," with a flick of her wrist her wand lighted, and Helen watched as all the dried leaves of the courtyard flew around her as she danced between them.

...

It was already getting dark in the only wizard village, Hogsmeade. Severus was inside the Shrieking Shack. With his wand, he closed the door and stayed on the outskirts of the bed on the floor grunting for the pain that bends his bones. Dragging on the ground, Severus raised to his knees while his clothing broke. He had already taken the Wolfsbane potion and expected the transformation to be lighter. "Incarcerous Maxima!" he yelled and hundreds of chains appeared on him, holding him and sticking him to the wall to hold him stilled.

Soon all his clothes had disappeared, and only his skin remained which changed to even a dark tone. His whole body was covered in fur minus his chest, his face elongated with sharped fangs that would have hashed anyone in an instant. The chains tightened even more to his body since he grew two feet more than his human stature. When all the pain was over, the cursed howl was heard over the village. Holding what little conscience he had, the werewolf closed his eyes and hoped to be able to rest the whole night.

...

When the morning of September two arrived, Helen was a little concerned. The students had already arrived at the Hogwarts on September one and they have already been sorted. She was the only one left, but for some reason, the Malfoy's boy had not attended either. But why? At least she wasn't alone. When Helen came down the stairs with her owl, she noticed that her father was not present, of course, he was a teacher. She forgot. He was probably at Hogwarts. "Are you ready to go?" asked Lily. She nodded to her mum and took her hand. When they entered the car, Helen's Remembrall was on the table next to her window with a bright red colored smoke.

The trip was not so short or long but it took a couple of hours, and Helen, for the most part, spent sleeping. Upon arrival, Helen did not notice anything different in the train station, all the people to her surroundings seemed normal. Lily dragged her daughter's trolley, while Helen carried Shadow on a cage. She saw her mother stopped between platforms 9 and 10.

"Mum, where's the platform nine and three-quarters?"

"Come here, sweetie." Lily took the cage and placed it on the trolley. She grabbed her daughter's hands and put them on the trolley's grip handle.

"We must run directly to the solid entrance that divides platforms nine and ten. Just right there."

"Mum, you sure we are not gonna clash against it?"

"Honey, do you trust me?"

Helen nodded back to her mother. She gulped waiting for the solid impact as they ran to it, but when she closed her eyes and opened them anew, they were in a different place. It was magic. They had done it. Both smiled as they went through the platform, but at the sight of someone, Lily's smile completely bitter. "Lucius," she said. "Why are you here? Where is Severus?"

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Snape, your husband was busy, so he sent me to pick up your daughter and of course thanks to that, Draco missed his first day and his placement at the sorting ceremony." He squeezed the top of his cane. "So you blame my daughter when none of this is your business?

"Oh, but it is. Has your husband tell you yet?" Lily remained silent, what was this man talking about, had he discovered what Helen was? "I'll let him to it. Meanwhile, Miss Snape please come, we're late as it is. If you do not mind Mrs. Snape we'll leave immediately." Lily noticed that there was no train at the station, so Lucius was her only way to get to Hogwarts. "Sweetie, go with him, he'll take you to school, just remember what we talked about."

Lily kissed her goodbye, on the forehead. When she walked towards the Malfoys the little Draco had a mocking smirk on his face. Helen was disgusted with the desire to break his teeth. Helen felt Lucius's arm twisted away from her and re-doubled her gripped; disappearing from Lily's sight.

...

The next thing she saw was a ground, as she stood next to the Malfoys at the entrance to a huge old gate. "Come," said Severus waiting for them at the other side of the gate. "Father!" she ran and hugged him. "Wait." Everything was so fast that she did not realize that she had gone through the closed solid gate and fall into her father's arms. Same magic spell as the wall at King's Cross she thought. "I'll leave you," and with that Lucius disapparated and left his son at the mercy of Professor Snape. "Follow me, and leave your stuff behind. They will be taken to your rooms later." The road had been long and narrow. Huge trees surrounded them, and where her sight reached the castle awaited.

They were escorted by the huge hallways of the castle, by Severus. Helen's arms shook. The paintings moved and followed them with their curious eyes. Ghosts were floating inside the corridor above them, Helen who was behind Severus approached Draco and grabbed his arm. Draco, on the other hand, was too scared looking at the ghosts and swallowing his own fear that he did not even realize that he was also holding her hand too. When they stopped in one of the corridors, Severus had said a strangled phrase that ended with lemons, and an eagle-shaped statue began to move in an ascending fashion.

"Whoa," Helen said. By then Draco realized that Helen was holding his hand, "Let go," and he pushed her away from him. They climbed the stairs after Severus, and he opened the door for them. They found themselves facing a circular room with four columns and small stairs. A bird with red crimson feathers and a golden tail as long as a peacock's awaited them next to an empty desk.

"Fawkes. Such lovely creature."

"Is hideous," said Malfoy.

"I think is beautiful."

Dumbledore smiled at Miss Snape statement. "Yes, he is, little one." "Come, sit down." Dumbledore offered them with his open hand. Draco and Helen looked at each other and she was the first to sit on a stool in front of the desk. Severus brought an old hat and placed it on the headmaster's desk.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Helen trembled once more, she couldn't think of any possible reason for how the hat could speak to them. "Go on, try it," Dumbledore told her. Helen dropped the hat over her eyes and waited inside the darkness of the hat's interior. "Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Plenty self-reliant, I see. Not good in the mind part. There's cunning, A, yes - and a nice thirst for ambition, now that's interesting... So you will fit nicely-"

Helen thought, Slytherin, please let it be Slytherin.

"Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "You want to be in the same house as your father- I see. Well, if you're sure - better be SLYTHERIN!"

"Bloody hell," Draco spoke in disbelief. He hoped that Helen would have ended up in Gryffindor like her mother. He wanted an excuse to bugger off the Gryffindors, now he had none.

 


	7. The Third Floor

**-1991-**

Highlands of Scotland, Hogwarts

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the girl with the blonde hair."

"The blonde kid?"

"Did you see his face?"

"That's Lucius Malfoy son?"

Many rustles haunted Draco Malfoy from the moment he left the dungeons the next day. He had missed the sorting ceremony because his father used him as an excuse to manipulated Snape and his daughter. He didn't know what kind of plan was his father cooking, but he wanted no part in it. Slytherin students lined up outside the dungeons on lacing to get a look at the son of a former Death Eater or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Draco wished they all focused on the-boy-who-lived, Neville Longbottom because there were rumors already spread about Helen and Draco being friends.

There were many stairs at Hogwarts, some led to different corridors and if you did not remember that they moved you could fall from a high floor. Crabbe and Goyle had not waited for Malfoy, they were probably in the Great Hall eating to their heart's content. Malfoy hoped that Helen got lost in her first day with one of those doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or gave the right password, or even in one of those doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just feigning. He had to admit that it was very hard to remember where anything was because it all seemed to move around a lot. Even when his father scolded him, Draco always got away and didn't seem to get lost in the family manor.

Draco smirked down the hallway to the Great Hall.

...

Helen hadn't seen much since she arrived at the later hours of the night. Everything was dark and moody in the dungeons. Helen worried about confusing the boy's dorms with the girl's at least that didn't turn to be a problem for her first night. Every Slytherin student that could afford it could get their own private rooms. Hogwarts is a tuition-free because the Ministry of Magic pays for all magical education expenses, that far her mother told her. However, if students wanted extra accommodations there would be a cost for said accommodations.

Helen loved the greenish lamps and chairs in the common room, they reflected well with her eyes. The must part she loved was that her private dorm extended under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge. At the early hours of the morning, the common room had quite a grand atmosphere, but also quite a cold one. Dressed in her plain black work robe, she saw people in the portraits moved from portrait to portrait, they were all over the place, and Helen was suspicious if the armor shells could move at all.

The ghosts made Helen's skin shudder, her hair stands on end and at the same time, it was a thrill to see when the spirits of the dead slithered down the castle as everyone acted normal. Helen, of course, got lost in her first day and that was possible, but the caretaker, Argus Filch was the impossible. A scary old man that walked the hallways with a cat with red eyes. Helen and another girl from Slytherin managed to get on the wrong side of him in the early hours of the morning. The stairs had change course without their notice.

"What are you girls playing at?"

Helen spoke, "The stairs were moving out of place and-"

"They always do. That's no reason to not wait until they return to normal." said Filch,  _"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."_

"Sorry, I didn't know-" Even when Helen didn't know anything about it, the other girl had been in the Great Hall when Dumbledore restricted the third floor to all first-year students. Curiosity brought them together, it seems.

"That's what Dumbledore said. His exact words. You may fake that you're lost, but I know the truth. You're trying to break into the third floor on purpose." Filch repeated eyeing them up close with his oil lantern.

"What should I do with the lot of you? Come, I'll lock you up in the dungeons until your head of house comes for you,"

Both stared at each other and gobble on their own thoughts of terror.

"A little lost are we? I was just looking for you, Miss Snape and Miss Greengrass." Professor Quirrell said who was passing by the out-bounds of the third corridor.

"Off you go, lawbreakers." Murmured Filch as Professor Quirrell escorted the girls to their classroom.

...

Several days later, Severus sat on his office desk writing some letters, the harder he worked the less work he did. He thought and thought about Lucius proposal, it sicked him to the core. He didn't want to agree to such terms, ever. But Severus still kept the parchment as a last resort. Was he be willing to give his daughter's future away just for her own survival? Would she even agree to it? How was he going to find the resources or the right moment to give the potions to her daughter without the other students noticing. The rations Helen had in her trunk would soon come to an end.

Severus had a bad night the day before her arrival, the scars left by the chains were still stuck to his body, but at least there would be a few weeks before the next full moon comes anew. There was a lot more to magic than his daughter knew, Helen was going to find out quickly that waving a wand and saying a few words wasn't everything.

But why was an Obscurus born in her? She was bullied at school, that much he knew, at least. He discovered that himself, after the incident at Smeltings Academy. But if his daughter had known about strange things happening around her, she would have told them. Wouldn't she? He got up from his chair looking through the flasks on his office and found nothing. He had three potions flasks left for Helen. Was she gonna be fine? Severus refrained himself from such thoughts and picked up a quill from his desk.

...

Helen had to study the night skies through a telescope every Wednesday at midnight and learned the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. She had to go three times a week to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with Professor Sprout. Learning to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and founding out what they were used for, wasn't her cup of tea. Helen wasn't amused and poorly hoped that they would change that class for an actual class that base itself on stones, crystals, and minerals.

The Quidditch class wasn't that interesting at all, every time she touched the broom her hands and legs trembled, but in the end, she managed to elevate herself from the floor a few inches. She still had no future planned to play that dangerous sport. Potions classes were horrible, in the first week she had already gotten her father's detention. The first days were hard, no one wanted to speak to her. The boys were afraid of getting close because of her father's wrath of something of the sort, now the girls walked in groups and Helen was afraid to get close to them. Her own personal experience at her Muggle school frighted her those girls either throw trash at her or bullied her in the bathrooms.

Helen was interested in History of Magic, it was the only class taught by a ghost, and she grew a hunger for knowledge about her parent's world. It was Professor Cuthbert Binns who taught it. Helen passed hours after school in his room alone, learning and doing assignments. She waited until each student left and approached the teacher while the old man's ghost floated over the floor reading his old notes.

"Excuse me, Professor Binns," she said.

"Yes?" he replied eyeing at her through a ghostly monocle.

"I wanted to know more about the Obscurus from the book Fantasy Beast And Where To Find Them." she bites her lower lip with anxiousness.

"Before wizards went underground, my darling, when we were still being hunted by muggles, young wizards and witches sometimes tried to suppress their magic to avoid persecution. So instead of learning to harness or to control their powers, they developed what was called an Obscurus."

"How did they cure this illness?" she asked even when she knew that her father and uncle argued about it at dinner. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, if her father couldn't, she would.

"I am afraid not. Many wizards tried to find a cure, tho, no one ever did." According to her father and Professor Binns, there was a no cure, but that didn't stop her from wanting to know more.

"Mind you if I ask why do you want to know about this dark subject?"

Helen only gave him a brief smiled, "I'm interested in many other subjects, but if you're not then, I'll drop it."

"Usually, children possessed by an Obscurus almost always die before their 10th birthdays-"

"All of them?"

"Ah-Yes, there was one kid in particular," the professor searched his notes, "Credence Barebone-Yes, a wizard with tremendous latent powers he survived longer even reach adulthood."

"What If the Obscurus is removed through magic or other means?"

"Child, even when if you could successfully keep one alive the host will die-"

Helen's eyes broaden, and she ran out the room.

...

Helen had another class later but decided to skip it all together. She ran through the corridors that she found empty, leaving her presence far from the eyes of all those who liked to judge others. She climbed the stairs all the way to the seventh floor, at the end of one of the corridors, she hid from the sight of such who was called the 'boy-who-lived' step with his red-haired friend. She wanted to stay out of trouble, quietly she closed her self in a nearby room. It was more a closet than any other room, and she could have sworn that the room hadn't been there before she took that corner, but she stayed there crying. It had almost been a month and she still had no friends.

...

Greengrass had gotten up one of the previous nights, curious to see what was hidden on the third floor. On her night-walk, she had noticed three Gryffindors with the same curiosity as her going for the third floor. She had to abort the mission that night, and again when Helen meddled in her affairs. They were caught by Filch before she could have a look. Third time's the charm, she thought and decided to investigate the next night. Greengrass sped up a staircase to the third floor. Filch wasn't on sight, neither were the Gryffindors, what a relief to her.

The minutes crept by. She couldn't find anything odd on the third floor no matter how many doors she opened. Then a noise in the next room made her jump. Greengrass had only just raised her wand when she heard someone speak. "I know you're there, Mrs. Norris can sniff you out," It was Filch speaking about his cat. The was going to find her, and fear struck her. She would be expelled if she was caught up here, a Slytherin no less. She ran down a long gallery full of suits of armor. She could hear Filch getting nearer.

"AHH!" Greengrass yelled, Neville suddenly tripped with her coming out from a corner, he grabbed her hand, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor. The two of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following - the armor had made enough noise to wake up the whole castle. They moved around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Neville in the lead, with an idea of where he was going - they went through a ripped through a tapestry and found themselves inside a hidden passageway.

She knew he had come through here, the first time she saw him. They soon arrived at the Charms classroom, and close the door behind them. "I think we've lost him," Neville said, leaning against the door. She wiped her forehead and soon found herself bent double, wheezing and spluttering. When she looked up, she saw the boy-who-lived bright eyes reflecting with his short blond spiky hair and his physical musculature.

"I-I uh, ... thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," he replied.

"Don't mention it? Playing the hero now are you?"

"Hey, calm down. They'll hear us."

"I thought you - with your reputation you be I don't know, I expected a fat little boy,"

"Well, I've to thank my grandmother for that, she decided to put me on the racing team in a muggle school."

"I thought that someone as famous as you would be drowned in the reputation of "destroying" the darkest wizard who ever lived."

"Now you're blowing my reputation out of proportion."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Hm."

"I'm Neville Longbottom by the way. And you are?"

Greengrass walked to the door, passed him, ignoring his hand. She opened the door and look back at him. "I'm Daphne- Daphne Greengrass ...see you around." Neville smiled back at her, hoping to see her again. There was something strange about her, and of course, he wanted to know what she knew about the third floor and if it had anything to do with the three-headed dog.


End file.
